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How To Break 80 Newsletter
March 11, 2009
"The Web's Most Popular Golf Improvement
Newsletter"
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In this issue we'll discuss...
1) Sink More Strip Putts Now
2) Cut Strokes By Chipping it Close
3) Question of the Week - Achieving A Great Backswing
4) Article -
Ironing Out Long Game Problems
5) Article - Driving For Show With Tips From The Pros
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1) Sink More Strip Putts Now
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Confidence is what sets Tiger Woods apart from his fellow pros. When Tiger putts, he doesn’t think he'll sink his putt, he knows it. When he misses, he's shocked. He firmly believes he'll sink every putt.
Golfers who lack confidence miss putts—even dead straight ones. To build confidence in your putting—and cut strokes from your scores—start with the right grip. A tour favorite is the reverse overlapping grip.
Here's a six-step routine for this grip:
1. Hold the club perpendicular to the ground
2. Place your left hand on the grip first
3. Remove your left forefinger from the club
4. Put the fleshy part of your right hand on the grip
5. Slide your right hand down the grip
6. Both thumbs must point straight down the shaft
Using the standard overlapping and interlocking grips produce too much clubface rotation when putting—a killer when it comes dead straight putts. The reverse overlapping grip is popular because it keeps the putterface square to the ball and doesn't produce too much clubface rotation.
Start by holding the putter by the grip and raising it up until it's perpendicular to the ground. Now place your left hand (for right-handers) on the putter handle with your thumb pointing down the shaft. Next put the fleshy part of your right hand on the flat part of your grip.
All your fingers should now be wrapped around the grip, except your left forefinger, which should be sticking out. Now slide your right hand down until your left thumbnail is covered. Both thumbs should be pointing straight down the shaft. Close the left forefinger so it overlaps the fingers of your right hand, completing the grip.
Holding the putter this way will help you sink more dead straight putts. Unlike other grips, the reverse overlapping grip keeps the putter face square to the arc of your stroke and the putterface going down the line. If you don't use this grip, try it. You'll quickly see why it's so popular on the PGA Tour.
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2) Cut Strokes By Chipping it Close
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What are the two most common swing flaws in chipping? The two most common swing flaws are improper distribution of weight and incorrect positioning of the hands. If either, or both, of these faults creep into your swing, your chipping suffers. The Sidewall Drill fixes these faults.
Here are the drill's key benefits:
* Increases chipping consistency
* Prevents you from scooping the ball
* Ingrains the feel of weight distribution
* Teaches you proper hand location
* Improves short game accuracy
* Boosts chipping confidence
To chip it close, you must do two things. You must lean your weight forward toward your front foot and you must keep your hands in front of the ball. If you do both, you'll hit the ball straight with predictable height. The Sidewall drill ingrains the feel of the correct weight distribution and teaches you to keep your hands ahead of the ball.
Here's the drill:
Find two walls that come to a corner. Take your chipping stance, with your forward shoulder facing the wall. Lean slightly toward, with your shoulder's edge behind the wall. Now simulate the chipping motion. Pretend there's an imaginary ball in the center of your stance. Make a slow motion swing, keeping your arms ahead of the ball. That way you won't flip the club through the ball.
Your shoulder should stay leaning up against the wall well through impact and the clubface should remain square to the target. If you can find the corner of two walls with grass below them so you can actually chip, even better.
Do this drill until you ingrain the proper feel of chipping the ball. Then head for the practice green and make some chips. You can also do the drill when playing. Just find a wall or fence corner and practice it a few minutes. You'll improve quickly.
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3) Question of the Week - Achieving A Great Backswing
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Q. Hello Jack, One of the problems I seem to be having is that my right arm tends to stiffen up during the backswing. I have been told this is the main reason that my ball flight is generally a left hook. I could not find any reference to the flex of the right arm during the backswing in your articles. Anyway, I am trying to change my right arm flex these days to see if there are visible results in direction control. Do you have any drills that might help?
Regards,
Abdul Malek
A. Thanks for the question, Abdul. A stiff right arm during your backswing causes all sorts of swing problems. To achieve a good backswing, your right elbow must form a right angle—or L-shape—at the top of your swing.
Here are two exercises that will help you achieve this:
1. Imagine yourself standing within a doorframe. Now imagine yourself swinging a club so that your hands are just under the top right-hand corner of the door. For this to happen your left arm must be comfortably straight and your right elbow positioned at 90 degrees. If you hinge your wrists correctly, the clubhead should be parallel to the top of the frame. Try the drill and check your position in a mirror.
2. The Split Hands drill is another exercise that trains your right arm. Split your hands a few inches apart on the grip, then swing the club back and push your right arm away to form a 90-degree angle at the elbow. Keep in mind that in a typical backswing the left arm tends to separate from the body too early. So as you make the backswing, feel that you exert some pressure on your chest with your left arm.
Once you have the feel for a good backswing, hit some balls. Try to recapture the feeling you had when executing the drills explained above.
If you've got a golf question you'd like answered, send an email to us at questions@howtobreak80.com and we'll review it. I can't guarantee that we'll use it but if we do, we'll make sure to include your name and where you're from.
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If you want to truly discover the secrets of shooting like the Pros and creating a more reliable and consistent swing, check out: http://www.HowToBreak80.com
Also, for past issues of this newsletter and some of my most recent articles, visit our blog at www.HowToBreak80.com/blog
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About the Author
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Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book "How To Break 80 and Shoot Like the Pros!". He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicaps quickly. His free weekly newsletter goes out to thousands of golfers worldwide and provides the latest golf tips, strategies, techniques and instruction on how to improve your golf game.
